Magnet
by Girls Like Girls
Summary: Miku couldn't say she loved Luka even after the girl confessed to her, but she couldn't deny that Luka was very attractive, and she also had to admit she felt something between them. Curiosity and lust, she was sure that's all it was. "Say… how do you feel about being friends with benefits?" [MikuxLuka/Negitoro]
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Hatsune Miku refused to believe it when Luka told her: "I love you."

But there they were, behind the school after class because the rosette requested to talk with the shorter girl, making sure she chose a place where few students went and no one would see them. The pale winter sun hung above them, a lazy, blinding disc high in the unusually warm atmosphere. Three words lingered overhead, the tension around them increasing as only shocked silence greeted the older student's confession.

Miku froze, her teal eyes growing wide with immense surprise, feeling like sudden ice had seeped through her veins and was binding her down to the spot. She gathered the will to say something, _anything_ back, laugh this off as some kind of bad joke. However, mouth slightly agape in the midst of a non-existent response, her words just wouldn't come out as she stared up at Luka, whose sky blue eyes darted nervously between Miku's disbelieving gaze and everywhere else. A deep red blush was splashed across the taller girl's cheeks, much darker than her pink hair as her heart was beating a mile a minute, but anyone could see through her poised stance and honest gaze that she was completely serious.

"I…" the pigtailed girl mumbled unsurely, the dubiety inside her fading as she tried to accept the situation. "I'm not sure what to say…"

The turquoise-haired 16-year-old was certainly very popular, and quite a few boys had mustered up the courage and confessed to her in the last few years, all of whom she rejected. As she walked through the hallways, she knew there were many more people who had their eyes on her. But she never expected this. She never expected Luka to confess to her, much less to be… _gay_.

Under the shadow of her bangs, the pink-haired girl's aqua eyes were still laced with gentleness and determination. "Even if it takes some time, I'd like to know how you feel about—"

"I don't love you," was Miku's simple, indifferent answer.

"O-Oh," the other girl couldn't help but breathe out despondently (after all, what had she expected?), gaze slightly downcast but brightening up again a few moments after. "I see. Perhaps you'd like to try and get to know each other better, then?"

"I don't usually date people," the tealette declared, putting on that innocent act with the soft voice that everyone knew so well, but her words were laced with coldness. She grew stiff and fidgeted subtly. "Much less… girls."

She blurted the last word out like it offended her. Of course, how could Luka have been so foolish? It was highly likely that Miku was straight, given her reputation with boys. What did she think would happen, that the other girl would immediately admit she loved her back and jump into her arms with tears of joy? She mentally scolded her optimistic self for thinking unrealistically. Rejection was fifty percent of the deal, and she had simply managed to land on that half.

"I understand." Luka tried her best to hide the despair that started to well up and replaced it with a tender smile, while looking at the girl in front of her, who had shifted her gaze to the side uncomfortably. "Well, if you ever change your mind, you can always talk to me."

A few agonizingly slow seconds ticked by on an invisible clock before the turquoise-haired girl finally murmured, "I'm sorry, Luka." Those were the last three words spoken to her by Miku for the next four days, before the younger girl abruptly turned and left Luka standing there alone and disappointed, three words that may as well have answered her confession.

Miku knew she didn't feel the same way, even after the girl confessed to her out of the blue—she didn't swing that way, after all—but Miku couldn't deny that the older pink-haired girl was definitely very attractive. From her long rosy hair to her pretty face—lighthearted, yet with a hint of rare maturity—smooth skin, and curvy, feminine physique (she knew guys who would definitely find her sexy), Luka was indeed quite a looker. Topped with a decent personality too. Perhaps some curiosity was in play here, but she was certain that was all it was.

Miku couldn't say she loved Luka, but she had to admit that she felt _something_ between them.

 _[a feeble fire is lit at the edge of my heart; without my knowing, it spreads into burning passion]_

In the coming school days, all Luka wanted was for the painful six hours to end. Weekend seemed like an eternity away as classes resumed, work piled up, and glimpses of a teal-haired girl amidst the blurry crowds became the focus of her thoughts for an entire day. All she wanted now was to forget about Miku. It was clear she didn't feel the same way and likely never would. Luka had her mind set on accepting it as unrequited love, no matter how distressing it would be (made even more difficult since they had more than one class together; God just seemed to hate her). She knew she wasn't doing the best job of hiding her broken heart when her best friend Meiko, who had no clue what even happened, commented with concern lacing her tone that Luka seemed to be acting very out of it.

"Love problems?"

Luka could only stare into Meiko's warm cocoa eyes and smile at her soft voice. And she laughed. A quiet, split-second laugh that wavered and came out more bitter than she intended.

"Rejection problems."

So there she was, hugging her knees in a loose tank top on her living room couch at dusk while her college-student best friend who was patient and supporting as always was forced to listen to a high schooler's insignificant problems. Luka remembered apologizing more than once, but every single time, Meiko would shake her head and tell her that's what friends were for. Which only made the rosette feel guiltier. As if she didn't talk about herself enough.

"Don't give up on love. Forget this Miku and meet some new people. I'm sure you'll get over her in no time," the brunette piped up, as exuberant and calm about the situation like she had been every time Luka dropped her cool, mature façade and complained about something. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, Meiko grinned encouragingly, to which Luka had to smile back. "There are lots of fish in the sea!"

Maybe it was okay. Maybe Luka was already getting ahead of herself. Maybe it wasn't even love, and therefore she should stop overthinking the whole episode. So she listened to her friend. Rejection happened all the time, and moving on was the right choice.

Miku, on the other hand, never thought something as trivial as someone she barely knew—a girl too, for that fact—confessing would send her mind spinning every time she thought back to that day, or render her attention divided for nearly the whole week. Distracted and unable to remember even a word of what the teacher was saying as she waited out a long and tedious history class, her gaze would unknowingly drift over to a certain rosette who sat a few rows ahead of her. And occasionally, that rosette would happen to flash a glance back, to which both of them instantly turned away as they got caught, one blushing and one not wanting to admit what she just did.

The turquoise-haired girl clenched her teeth and tried her best not to think about her for the rest of the class. It was a hard task indeed, and the silky-smooth voice of Luka answering a question, interrupting Miku's short-lived triumph, didn't help. Perhaps she had been a bit too harsh when rejecting her. Luka seemed like a kind, abiding girl, and it almost made Miku feel guilty. However, she had to be aware Miku couldn't lie just to please her, since that would mean pretending to feel something she doesn't and living with an even bigger burden, as well as building a relationship on a foundation of dishonesty. Besides, the teal-haired teen wasn't into relationships. They were too much work for her, too much dedication and commitment and effort to handle. And the heartbreak that was bound to happen in young love, she didn't need any of that. After all, she had popularity, she had loyal friends, she had more than enough guys who would jump at the first chance to be with her, and Miku didn't like to boast but even she was aware she wasn't bad looking either.

Twirling a pencil absentmindedly in her hand, the girl propped her head up on the back of her hand and stared disinterestedly at the front of the class, the teacher's words travelling through one ear and out her other. _Why am I so hung up over this?_

Just what was it that Miku felt? She knew it wasn't love. Heck, it wasn't even like. She had always been attracted to guys and could never imagine herself in a long-term relationship with a girl. Even considering it made her cringe inwardly. But she could appreciate the sight of Luka. Humans were naturally attracted to anything that pleases the eye. And she could appreciate the odd feeling inside her that awoke whenever her eyes drifted to the pink-haired girl.

The desire to explore. Maybe that was it. She was young, and for lack of better words, a teenager with raging hormones and a lust for experiments. She could be straight, but also have bicurious phases. That was completely normal, wasn't it? Her friends had made out with other girls before, but strictly for the purpose of fun or experimenting or even to impress their crush, not because they actually had feelings for the girls.

If Miku thought this way, a relationship might even work out between them. Not a real one, of course, but a short-term one only for the sake of both of their desires that could end anytime they felt like it. Luka said she loved her, so she must've wanted it, and it made sense that she would agree to anything Miku proposed. And her? Well, the younger girl realized she simply wanted the thrill of trying something different and new, while still keeping control over what happened between them as to not let it get too far.

Miku would tell Luka tomorrow, and she would make it very clear what she wanted.

 _[my butterfly flapped about aimlessly,_ _leaving behind some powder on your hand]_

Four days had passed since the day of Luka's confession. And although she never expected it to be easy or quick to get over the turquoise-haired girl, she was convinced Miku was still on her mind more than she should be, and she wouldn't deny that when she was alone, she still secretly fantasized about what it would be like if they were together, if they held hands and kissed and touched and whispered things only they'd know to one another like characters in unrealistically sappy teen romance novels. But given that she was positive nothing would happen between them, and since she hadn't gotten in too deep, moving on couldn't be that difficult.

At least, that's what Luka thought as she looked forward to a peaceful weekend, before a certain someone approached her on Friday afternoon after class.

The group of friends who seemed to follow Miku everywhere weren't present that day. Luka was wandering the outskirts of school grounds, leaning against a fence at the edge of the field near the trees that surrounded the decently sized stretch of grass, distractedly watching the boys playing soccer while her minded flitted off to somewhere else like a busy sparrow with a short attention span. That was when a voice sounded from behind her, familiar and alluring.

"Luka, may I talk to you?"

The rosette whipped her head around to come face-to-face with the one person she didn't think she'd see, immediately mesmerized by the captivating teal eyes of none another than the girl she had just been daydreaming about, half of her surprised and the other half oddly delighted. She almost didn't want to resort to that conclusion in the fear that she misread the situation, but still, she couldn't help the excited fluttering feeling in her chest whenever Miku was present.

 _Is it possible she changed her mind?_

"Sure, go ahead!" Luka invited eagerly, smiling shyly but clinging onto that last string of hope that maybe, just maybe, something would happen.

Miku felt her lips curve upward in a pleased, mischievous smile. She wasn't nervous. She had nothing to be afraid of. The upper hand in this situation was hers. The pigtailed girl tilted her head up at Luka and stepped closer, making the taller girl's body grow warmer.

"Ah, not here," the tealette murmured, flashing suspicious glances around at the students nearby. They seemed to be minding their own business, but it was too risky since they were within earshot. "Come with me."

What Miku didn't know was that she didn't need to constantly smile or talk in a purposefully enticing manner or trail ghost touches with her fingertips on Luka's arm or side or thigh as she spoke. The pink-haired girl would've dreamily abided by her every wish anyway. But putting her charm to good use, Miku decided to put in a little extra just to make sure she had Luka in the palm of her hand, even if Luka was practically hers from the start. She grinned to herself as she felt the older girl's gaze linger on her from behind, while she led them away from any prying suspicions or spying eyes.

Miku suddenly turned around as they arrived a little further into the trees, and Luka was forced to quickly snap out of her trance, almost bumping into the person in front of her as she stepped back with a soft flush.

"I have an idea to propose," the turquoise-haired girl announced, arms locked behind her back, looking up at Luka with a devilish idea masked behind a pleasing smile. Said girl, of course, could only nod silently, urging her to go on as her heartbeat quickened. Miku continued smoothly, saying this as if it weren't a big deal at all, "I've given your confession some thought and came to a good conclusion."

 _Why, of course I'd love to be your—_

"How do you feel about being friends with benefits?"

 _—Fuck buddy…?_

This time it was Luka's turn to stand there frozen with wide eyes, mouth dropping open but no words coming out. All the thoughts she had were either lost amidst the rapid spiralling of her brain that was in a state of shock at the moment, or caught in her throat which suddenly felt unusually dry. This certainly wasn't where she had expected the conversation to go.

 _Friends with benefits?_ The voices inside her head were practically screaming bad idea, but her mind and her heart were in a serious battle of confliction. _I want to be her girlfriend, not the girl to bang whenever she feels like it!_

"Miku, I-I don't think that's—"

Luka's hesitant words were interrupted by a fierce kiss as Miku swiftly closed the distance between them. All she could feel was the softness of Miku's lips contrasted by the bold and intense atmosphere, the unseen trail of fire that blazed wherever Miku touched—her fingertips making butterfly-light dances—on her hot skin, from her jawline to her neck to her chest, her own desires flaming up and clouding her sense of logic, and all she could think was _ohmygodthisisreallyhappening._

After several seconds, the turquoise-haired girl pulled away from a red-faced and breathless Luka, a smug grin lighting up her face. Miku leaned in closer on her tip-toes and whispered, her hot breath tickling Luka's ear, "You were saying?"

The rosette just smiled, still panting slightly, blushing from ear to ear as the other girl's words sent chills through her body, all rationality lost at this point.

"I think we could try it out."

* * *

 **A/N: Welcome to _Magnet_ , a romance/angst/drama fic in which the characters are high school students, Miku and Luka being in the same year but the former starting out as 16 while the latter is 17, a few months older. The setting is similar to a modern American high school, as I'm not very familiar with how Japanese schools work, and so more readers can relate.**

 **Rated M, which means there will be some sexual content and other serious topics.**

 **Support, feedback, and all that good stuff is well appreciated.**

 **Asta la pasta and until next time. c:**


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Even a few months ago, if anyone had asked Miku if she'd ever pursue a friends-with-benefits relationship with anyone, much less a girl, she would've laughed in their face and called them an idiot. She didn't even date. She wasn't someone who would meddle with such trivial and time-wasting matters like acting all disgustingly flirty and sappy with someone else. In her eyes, it was deemed useless and would only lead to unnecessary heartache and over-analyzing every little thing.

But her opinion had begun to waver in the days following Luka's confession.

In the few classes—two, to be specific—Miku and Luka shared, the 16-year-old found her gaze drawn to the pink-haired girl. For a split second that even she would later deny, she was grateful the older girl sat a few rows diagonally in front of her, where she could get a perfect view and not have to worry about anyone noticing. That _something_ that Miku could've sworn she felt whenever her eyes fell on the pretty rosette was becoming more and more clear as time went on. As the pigtailed girl scribbled notes absentmindedly while the teacher's long and boring chain of words streamed out of his mouth like a rivulet (something about a war a million years ago she couldn't care less about), she automatically found herself not at all attentive to the lesson but hooked in the sight of Luka, who seemed to be absorbed in the class at the moment. Miku's half-lidded gaze trailed down the pink-haired student's tresses, clean and silky and flowing down her back like a serene cherry-blossom-colored waterfall, suddenly wanting to run her fingers through it. In a swift and smooth motion, Luka used one hand to fix her hair as if she could feel Miku staring, while the latter let her eyes roam over a glimpse of the back of Luka's neck. The tealette subtly tilted her head and suddenly wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through the other girl's long hair, tracing down her neck, down her back, grazing even farther on her soft, perfect skin…

 _Wait, what am I thinking?_

Miku forced herself to snap out of her thoughts, cursing silently as she felt her body grow hot at the images in her mind of her and Luka kissing, touching, exploring, doing other things.

 _Could this be… lust?_

Aside from love, which wasn't possible, that was the only reasonable conclusion. Miku felt a strong attraction to the girl, but she didn't actually deeply care for her. It must have been lust, which again, was only a phase of curiosity and exploration in her adolescent years. She wouldn't worry too much about it. After all, the appeal and thrill of this type of relationship was a bit overwhelming at first, however, it had to be put to good use. As long as Miku's feelings didn't go anywhere beyond pure lust and curiosity, there was nothing to be concerned for. She may as well think of the whole thing as… an experiment.

Miku would make sure she herself didn't get hurt by obtaining control in the relationship and breaking it off if she ever got bored or too attached, which she didn't think was likely. After all, Luka was just a plaything, a toy for her. And Luka? Well, if Luka ended up getting hurt, then it was only her own fault for agreeing.

 _[pulling apart our intertwined fingers,_ _moving from our lips to our tongues]_

Even Meiko, who didn't see Luka as often now because she gradually became busier with college and work, started to notice a difference in her best friend's behavior. How the rosette spaced out every time she tried to talk to her, how there was a dreamy, goofy grin on Luka's face more often than not, how a blush would spread across her cheeks and flustered denial would occur whenever Meiko tried to bring up anything.

The brunette, however, wasn't dense at all. Even someone incredibly naive could probably figure out something happened between Luka and Miku.

Meiko flipped a page in her magazine even though she wasn't done with the previous one, pretending to be engrossed in the fake photos and all-too-bright pages. "It's about that girl again, isn't it?"

A few feet beside her on the couch sat one of the two girls in question. Luka leaned against the arm of the couch, staring at nothing in particular with a daydream look in her eye and a faint smile dancing on her lips. She seemed to register Meiko's words a few seconds after they were spoken, and with widening eyes, opened her mouth to object. The short-brown-haired girl beat her to it.

"Don't even try to deny it. You wouldn't act like this unless something was up between you and that Miku chick," the college student scoffed, then hastily tossed the magazine on the glass table in front of them. She brought her legs up and crossed them before turning over to stare at Luka, whose blush only seemed to intensify as Meiko's chocolate-colored eyes sparked with amusement and mischief. "Well? Fess up!"

"I-It was nothing, really, just forget it," the rosette mumbled, eyes distant and mind still lost somewhere else. How could she tell her best friend she had agreed to a friends-with-benefits relationship with the girl she loved? Who knows how mad Meiko would be at her for that.

"Like hell I'm believing that," the older girl coaxed with a lighthearted roll of her eyes, soon breaking into an excited grin. "Come on, I won't tell anyone! Did she change her mind? Are you two dating now?"

Luka fidgeted and chuckled nervously, visibly averting her gaze while her smile faltered. "Something like that?"

That seemed to catch her attention. Meiko did a double-take and her eyes widened excitedly. "Wait, seriously? That's awesome! Told you everything would work out."

And in the presence of the giddy brunette, Luka could only force herself to match the other girl's beaming smile, doing everything she could to ignore the uncomfortable churning feeling inside of her that told her this wasn't a good idea. "You sure did." Everything was going to be fine. Those words rung repeatedly in her head, and for a moment, she managed to convince herself.

She hated doing this to her friend, but it was just a little white lie. So as the short-haired brunette eagerly probed her with a spitfire of excited questions about her so-called "relationship", that's exactly what Luka did. She smiled like nothing was wrong, and she lied.

 _[what we're doing do might be unforgivable]_

Luka didn't know what she expected. That Miku would suddenly act like they're a lovey-dovey couple and they'd hold hands and cuddle and kiss and everybody would know and support them?

Walking down the hallways, pushing through the messy crowd of students streaming in a noisy swarm, all the other people seemed to meld together and turn into a giant grey blob. Luka cast her gaze down, staring at the polished floor and many different shoes that shuffled to and fro. It wasn't often, but sometimes, she would catch a glimpse of bright teal hair and matching eyes, distinctive and eye-catching amidst everyone else. And she would feel her eyes widen, no one else existing, the same captivating effect dawning upon her like every other time she caught sight of Miku. Yet there would also be those subtle shoulder brushes when the halls weren't as crowded—so subtle, in fact, that for a second Luka doubted Miku even felt it as she just hurried past without a word or smile or even a glance in her direction.

Shouldn't something change between them? Not big, certainly not like what Luka was foolishly hoping for, but perhaps something small. Being noticed, for starters. Miku treated like Luka wasn't even in existence, and although she shook it off each time, the pinkette couldn't pretend the nagging drop of her mood and sinking of her heart wasn't there every time Miku chose to not acknowledge her.

The pinkette nearly felt like scoffing to herself. She needed to wake up from her dream. This was the real world, and sadly reality didn't seem to go hand-in-hand with her fantasies.

Still, she couldn't help it. In the few classes she had with the turquoise-haired student, Luka tried her hardest to focus on the lesson, but each time nothing would change, the empty words would just dissolve into a class that moved much too slow for her liking. Her mind and gaze would stray back to one person in particular, drinking in every little movement of the shorter girl's—the cute way she gently tapped the end of her pencil to her bottom lip as she was thinking, how she would carelessly run a hand through her long hair and still make it look so mesmerizing, how she would tilt her head as her pigtails swayed slightly when she was trying to focus. And she knew Miku noticed that for once. She wished the object of her affection would catch her eye and understand what she was silently trying to say through her gaze, but Luka shouldn't have expected her to even spare a glance.

This was just like before this all happened, wasn't it? Did nothing change at all, except for—

The ringing of a bell broke into Luka's thoughts. The teacher was hurriedly finishing something he was saying, waving frantically as he yelled out the homework after the leaving students, but like expected, none of the eager kids paid the middle-aged man any attention as they slammed in their chairs and bolted out the door, yelling cheers and plans for the weekend. It was Friday, after all.

One of the last students filed out the classroom door with the others and the teacher soon followed with a quick "have a good weekend" to the only two remaining people in the otherwise vacant room.

Luka closed her notebook, quickly hiding the scribbles of cheesy things on what should be pages for notes (looks like she's going to have to study extra hard again, but academics were never a problem for her), stuff like her and Miku's names in hearts she didn't even notice she drew—she wasn't that type of person; when did that even happen?—and slid it along with her textbooks into her bag, keeping her eyes down and growing nervous as she realized who she was alone with.

Miku, standing a few desks away, tossed a hand through her long pigtails as she flung her bag over one shoulder and slid the chair in with her hip, doing it all in one smooth movement like she did this stuff everyday—which she probably did. Luka slid further down in her seat like that would make her disappear, almost praying Miku would just leave already so she didn't have to endure this silent lovestruck pain anymore, but at this same time conflicted. She finally stood up when she saw Miku turning towards the door. She was just going to leave, head home, and be alone to bury herself in her heartache with movies and junk food. It's not like anything was actually going to hap—

"Luka…"

That had certainly caught Luka off-guard.

"Y-Yes?" She spun around, almost toppling over but propping a hand on the desk to balance herself at the sound of Miku's voice, as the tealette suddenly turned and instead started walking over to her, slowly, agonizingly, her hands locked behind her back, her teal eyes directly on Luka's. The name rolled off Miku's lips like a rivulet, hints of honey laced in the two syllables. It wasn't cool or distant like usual. It was smooth, soft, almost… sultry?

Luka must've been daydreaming again.

"You know…" Miku's voice was dropping to a low whisper with each word as she approached the pinkette, glancing around as if she was afraid someone would hear, standing on her tip-toes when she got close, just inches away from her face. Luka could feel her warm breath tickling her cheek, reminding her of that first time they kissed. "My parents won't be home tonight."

The anticipation was building up in the older girl's chest, making her heart flutter and her insides grow hot. With a wide-eyed gaze, she instantly knew what that meant. Miku wanted to have sex.

"Are you sure about this?" Luka instinctively whispered back, trying to avert her eyes to the side as the burning fire in Miku's intense gaze made it hard to look directly at her. "It hasn't been long, don't you think we should—"

"Of course I am," the tealette interrupted confidently, making the other girl swallow a gulp as she slid a hand up to caress her jawline gently. "That's what our relationship is for, isn't it?"

Something dropped inside of Luka at that moment and she fought back the lump in her throat. She opened her mouth but then realized she didn't have anything to say. Like Miku would feel the same way about her. They were friends with benefits and not lovers for a reason, she had to remind herself of that. This was a reckless decision that she would only regret in the end. This was wrong. She'd learned what the difference was between right and wrong since she was little. Sex, as well, was an intimate thing between two people who truly loved each other. Those two were far from that. At least, one side was.

And yet, overpowering that sliver of rational thought was desire. Hot, desperate desire that had clawed away at Luka's insides for so long. She _wanted_ this. A lot. She knew that clear as day and by the looks of it, Miku sure did as well. Just standing near the turquoise-haired girl reminded her of that. If only her body and mind would cooperate for once.

Luka's thoughts were storming through her brain like a hurricane. _Miku isn't thinking this thoroughly._ _What if I ruin everything? What if I had a chance with her but blew it because I agreed to this?_ Then there was that other side, the side that told her: _Just do it. If you don't do this, maybe you_ will _blow it._

 _… After all, you love her, right?_

Miku tilted her head and trailed kisses from the edge of Luka's mouth to her jawline, down her neck—kisses that, for a second, Luka almost believed were because of love. The shorter girl sucked on the soft skin of the pinkette's neck, one that would surely leave a mark (but none of them cared at the moment) as said girl's breath hitched and she could only helplessly melt under Miku's touch, thoughts blurring and cravings growing.

The younger girl pulled back and looked up at Luka, with a look not of flirtation or tempting seduction or anything, an almost pure smile, in fact, dancing on her lips. "So tonight, my place, right?"

And at this point, Luka knew what she was in for. She knew there was a fox beneath that innocent mask. But one look was enough for her to nod and answer:

"Right."

 _[and that's precisely why we're so fired up]_

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

Luka's head suddenly snapped up from her phone screen (the numbers shone 5:49) as she came face to face with all-too-familiar narrowed teal eyes, finding a small figure standing behind the open door with a hand on her hip.

"N-No," Luka mumbled shakily, stepping away from the porch as Miku led her inside the house and up the stairs after she left her things in the living room.

Her heart was drumming so rapidly in her chest that she was afraid the other girl could hear in the hushed quietness of the place. Each step made the anticipation in her chest grow stronger.

"You're so nervous," the tealette remarked with a giggle, flicking the light switch with a finger as a brightness illuminated a short hallway on the second floor. That definitely wasn't untrue.

"Ah, a bit." Luka's eyes flickered up to the girl walking in front of her with her back turned, trying not to stare at the way the loose crop top and short shorts fit Miku's slim figure perfectly. "Are you sure your parents won't find out?"

A short half-laugh, half-scoff from the younger girl. "Relax." As she pushed the door to her room open with one hand, Miku turned around and lightly trailed a hand up the pinkette's thigh, making the other girl shudder. "Besides, they never have before."

Luka sure didn't need to hear that last part, but as she felt the heat from their close bodies and the trail of fire igniting on her skin wherever Miku touched, that was of lesser importance.

Stepping inside, Luka almost didn't have time to comment about how Miku's room was just like how she imagined (not like she's stayed up thinking about what Miku's room would look like before). With a small push, she suddenly fell back, a soft bed catching her as she landed, hair splayed out and blue eyes wide. Miku wasted no time in getting straight to the point. She made sure the pink-haired girl was watching—and she was, her eyes glued intently on the sight in front of her and her heart speeding up—while Miku slowly removed her own shirt (if it could even qualify as a shirt, that was), sliding it off, revealing just a bit more of her flawless creamy skin each second, leaving Luka with the fiery desire to touch her as she discarded the piece of fabric carelessly to the side. She used a finger and slid the hair tie and ribbons off, letting her long tresses fall free in a graceful turquoise waterfall that cascaded down beneath her knees.

Luka was hungrily drinking in the sight, her breathing heavy already on nothing but the limited sight in front of her and her own wild imagination.

Miku was in a hot pink-and-black bra, one that matched her hair ribbons and her panties that Luka could catch a glimpse of the rim of, showing just above her shorts that were sliding down. She crawled on top of Luka so that she was straddling the older girl. Her chest wasn't as big as Luka's, quite obviously, but it was enough to give the younger girl a petite frame and her beautifully slender figure still remained, along with a skinny waist and long legs that balanced out her proportions nicely.

In complete awe, not even mentally prepared for the fact that she was about to do what she had secretly fantasized about for so many nights, with rosy red cheeks, the pinkette simply breathed out, "Wow…"

Miku smirked at the reaction as her hands trailed up and down Luka's sides, feeling her curves, moving to her legs, the inside of her thighs. "Like what you see?"

Luka was so caught in trying to organize her thoughts and feelings that she almost decided to ask about protection until she remembered they were both girls. They barely did anything yet and it was already overwhelming.

Miku leaned down, their bodies pressing against each other as the distance closed between them in a not-at-all gentle make-out session. Luka couldn't hold herself back anymore as she tangled her fingers in turquoise hair, their tongues in a heated fight as moans escaped their lips, while Miku's hands were sliding beneath the older girl's shirt, up the smooth skin of her flat stomach, up to her chest, and…

"No bra? You naughty girl," Miku commented slyly as she groped Luka's soft mounds, flicking her nipple, eliciting another moan and incoherent words from the girl being pleasured. Her hands were roaming hungrily over every inch of the tealette's body as well, from her chest to her slim waist to edging down her already loosened excuse for shorts.

Miku's lips tasted of traces of mint and berries, Luka remarked in her daze. It fit her. Hers tasted sweet, the stale kind of sweet.

Abruptly pulling away from sucking on Luka's lip and earning a whimper from her, Miku turned to kiss down the pinkette's neck and suck on her collarbone, hands moving from her breasts to unbuttoning Luka's shirt and casually throwing it away beside her, then swiftly sliding one down her skirt.

"Wait—" Luka began in a hurry, but as soon as she felt Miku pulling her skirt down over her legs and her hand feeling her most intimate spot, whatever she was going to say was as good as forgotten.

A sultry moan rolled off Luka's tongue and Miku felt a shiver shoot down her spine. The teal-haired girl's fingers were massaging her through the thin fabric of her panties.

"Oh… Oh god, Miku," Luka breathed out lowly, ecstasy clouding her mind and senses.

"You're already so wet," Miku teased in a whisper as she paid attention to Luka's breasts with her mouth while her hands were straying much farther down. "No one's here. Let out your voice as much as you want."

In the midst of that, Miku had already removed her own shorts and panties, lying on top of the other girl naked except for a lacy bra. The older girl's eyes suddenly widened as the tealette's hand slipped underneath Luka's panties.

 _Is this really going to happen?_ Luka couldn't help but think. But her body was heavy with burning, desperate desire, simply melting into the other girl, and breathless at the sensation of Miku's slender fingers touching her there, slipping _inside_ of her, there was no way she could say no anymore.

So as night fell in front of the curtain of stars outside the window, Miku became her first time. It wasn't romantic or magical or anything like how she thought it would happen for countless times in the past, but in the moment, Luka somehow convinced herself it was right.

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize for the slow update. School started along with a lot of personal problems and I'm quite busy, as well as good old writer's block. A longer chappie this time, and I'll try my best to keep the chapters coming.**

 **Support, feedback, and all that good stuff is well appreciated.**

 **Asta la pasta and until next time. c:**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

It had been weeks after they first had sex, and much to Luka's dismay, nothing changed.

A two-week winter break, however, was nearing and that was the main topic floating in the air amongst the bustling students. Excitement in making plans or the lazy drawls of the same old, "All I'm planning to do is eat and sleep." After that it would be the new year, and then a few months until summer. It was almost hard to believe how quickly time passed. Luka and the other students in her grade would be seniors by then, and after that, parting ways to college or university or life in general.

The 17-year-old hugged her bag tighter to the side of her body and slipped between the groups of students standing and conversing in the halls, wanting to catch sight of some familiar turquoise hair amidst the people, but at the same time, dreading if she did.

Over the weeks that passed after that first time, Miku had asked (demanded with a saccharine voice) to do it a few more times whenever she felt the need to, then discarding Luka aside like she was just a pawn or plaything. Luka was certainly upset from this, but wouldn't dare show it, masking it under a smile and an "I'm fine" each time someone asked out of concern—especially Meiko, who seemed to tell something was wrong like a sixth sense even though they barely saw each other anymore. The pinkette was still studying and doing great as always in her classes, she didn't show any outward hints of heartache or depression or worry or anything. In fact, any usual person would've just left after they heard that "I'm fine" and assumed it really was just that. But the little glimpses that no one caught, the split-second hesitation in her step and claiming to have gone the wrong way when she noticed Miku walking in her direction, a crushed longing in her eyes that surfaced sometimes but disappeared as quick as it came… it all existed. Luka just made sure no one noticed.

One sentence of Miku's on that day that Luka had discarded in a daze at the time now rang back to her in a dull, heavy bell.

 _"Besides, they never have before."_

Luka sighed and shook her head to herself as she finished up tidying her locker and organizing her textbooks. What was she expecting? That she would be Miku's first like it was the other way around? As if. Seeing how popular the other girl was, she should've known the tealette probably slept with dozens of other guys (and maybe even girls) before her. Perhaps even now, she…

The pinkette suddenly slammed her locker door shut. No, she didn't want to believe that. Miku was indeed popular and definitely not a virgin, but she also had a good side. It's not like they were a couple or anything, but Miku wouldn't do _that_.

There was still a chance, right? After all, Miku had accepted her in a weird, twisted way. If she had flat-out rejected her, well, that was a different story, but if Luka could just make the tealette fall in love with her, even _like_ her for starters, then maybe what she longed for everyday could happen.

 _Don't give up yet. They all say love is tough but worth it, don't they?_

As soon as the bell rung, Luka turned to head to her last class of the day, trying as best she could to believe those words she kept repeating in her head.

 _It might be tough but she's worth it… isn't she?_

 _[i want you to embrace me closely and gauge my limit; please make me believe that this is not a sin]_

If one thing came of Luka's relationship with Miku, it was that she had been hanging around Miku's closest friends a lot lately, and the pinkette's sweet, smart, mature disposition was a nice touch to the otherwise wild and rambunctious group.

Luka had to admit, she never had a good impression of Miku's best friends. They were the four lackeys that followed the queen around, who acted like bitches, dressed like sluts, and flirted with every boy in the school. Or at least, that's what she thought. But as she actually approached them and started befriending them, she found out it was quite different from what she imagined. They weren't what she was used to, but they had something she never thought she'd find in people like that. They were human. It was a nice surprise. As she opened up to them, though, that only gave her more problems.

On one specific Wednesday, the five friends were talking behind the school when a certain short-haired blonde brought up a subject one of the friends was trying to avoid.

"So… do any of you know what's up with Luka?" Rin casually tried to slip it into the conversation (which had just been something about toothpaste and oranges before that), silencing herself as the others quieted down and looked over to her—all except a turquoise-haired girl, that is, who fidgeted subtly and turned away, pretending to be staring down at her nails or something. Gumi noticed this, but waved it off and averted her green eyes back to Rin.

"Why do you ask?" Miki chirped up obliviously, hands locked behind her back. "She seems fine to me!"

"Because you're too dense to know any better anyway," Gumi shot back at the redhead, which earned a pout from her. Turning back to Rin, the green-haired girl leaned on the wall behind her and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Luka has been looking down lately, though. I wonder why."

At this, Miku shifted in her position and averted her focus to the wisps of clouds that drifted by, the birds that chirped like nothing was wrong, the splotchy shadows the trees cast on the grass. Anything except the conversation.

Beside her, Lily held up her coke can and peeked inside, confirming there was no more inside before tossing the flimsy empty red shell away. "Perhaps something happened. We should ask her."

Miki protested something about littering which Lily didn't pay any attention to, while Rin crossed her arms and shook her head. "No, I doubt she'd tell us even if she did have a problem. She's not the type to."

"Maybe she's failing school or something?" the redhead chimed in, clearly not having any idea.

Lily just scoffed and tossed a hand through her long blond hair, rolling her icy blue eyes. "Oh please, Miss Perfect-At-Everything Luka fail at anything? You'd think the world is ending if that happened."

"You've been with her a lot," Gumi piped up, turning to look at Miku, which took the latter a few moments to snap her head up and realize she was being talked to. "Do you have an idea?"

The tealette simply shrugged, a little too defensively. "What makes you think I would know?" Miku hadn't meant for her words to come out sounding so icy and indifferent, but since it had, she made a quick save to prevent suspicion by adding, "We all have bad days. It's probably nothing."

"What if…" Rin suddenly began hesitantly, probably forming the words in her head, turning everyone's attention to her again. "What if she got rejected by someone? Maybe she confessed to her crush and was rejected by him. Just a guess."

There were a few seconds of silence in which the others processed the thought in their heads, actually finding it fairly reasonable after a bit. Fake smiles, often spacing out. It made sense. Luckily no one noticed Miku virtually drenched in nervous sweat in her place right about now (especially since Rin said "him"), but the petite girl managed to hide it under her usual façade once again.

"Or her," Gumi corrected. When the others stared at her, she didn't flinch but simply concluded logically, "What? She could be a lesbian."

One more second of this and Miku was at the point of excusing herself and going home.

Rin respectfully proposed that she wouldn't want to pry into Luka's personal business and Miki started whining about the exact opposite of wanting to know who Luka liked, while Lily had gone off in the direction of the vending machine to blow her money on some more snacks.

"Whoever it is, Luka's probably not saying anything out of respect for who she likes. Things spread fast around here. Imagine if everyone found out," the short-haired blond girl murmured, running a hand over the large white bow on her head. "She'd probably rather hurt herself than hurt that other person."

Miki smiled sheepishly and laughed lightly. "Alright, we're usually the ones to thank for rumors, but…" At that, her expression turned into a more thoughtful and serious one. "That does sound pretty depressing."

In her mind, Miku had shrunk down until she was invisible. If only she could do that in real life too. _Just kill me now._

"Unrequited love must suck," Lily remarked, overhearing them as she strolled back into the small group with armfuls of sodas and unhealthy snacks. "We could totally help with some tubs of ice cream and ex-ranting to help her get over it, but that's not the case here."

"I know!" Rin suddenly blurted out loudly, her large cerulean eyes practically sparkling with enthusiasm and ideas. "We could help Luka get over it by finding her someone new. I know tons of guys that would be dying to get with her!"

"She's pretty hot, it definitely won't be hard," Lily commented casually, stuffing some chips in her mouth right after, making whatever she said next pretty much inaudible buried beneath all the crunching. Miki reached over and slipped some chips into her palm.

"Plus, there'll a dance this year for the juniors and seniors," Gumi continued along the train of thought, seemingly hopping aboard this plan as well, which only made Miku feel worse. "It's gonna be huge! We can totally find someone for her by then."

"Don't forget dress shopping!" Miki bounced up and down eagerly. "We can plan something during winter break!"

"If she really does love someone, don't you think it'll take at least a while for her to get over them?" a certain turquoise-haired girl mumbled all of a sudden, surprising the others—someone even commenting that she had been extra quiet today—and herself too.

 _Wait, why did I say that? Am I actually_ defending _her?!_

"True, but it's worth a shot, right?" Rin grinned and announced stubbornly. "Come on, it's going to be good for her and fun for us! Who's with me?"

Watching them all explode in excited agreement and following through with this "plan" that Rin just had to suggest in the first place instead of simply leaving the matter alone, Miku could only slide her back down the wall and sigh to herself.

 _What did I fucking do?_

 _[i want you to kiss me and repaint my body, i want to be intoxicated and drowned in your charm]_

During winter break, Luka was being persuaded to go out with her new friends strangely often (much to her reluctance, after all things didn't need to be even more awkward between her and Miku, even though she ended up agreeing every time with some of their puppy dog faces) and a few times even having dragged Meiko along. Being much more of a people person than Luka, the brunette quickly bonded with them and matched their wild energy, with the younger girls eager to hang out with the fun-loving college student. Strangely, she didn't seem too fond of Miku, but it was probably just Meiko's inner older sister figure to Luka talking.

Miku and Rin were walking in the lead as they strolled through the large mall, busy with people likely because of the sales, Meiko and Lily seemed to have immediately gotten along pretty well and were chatting casually after the first two, and Gumi and Miki were bickering friendlily like usual with the latter's eyes widening joyously whenever she caught sight of clothes she liked behind the display glass.

Luka willingly distanced herself as far as she could from a certain tealette, trailing behind Gumi and Miki, bringing up the rear of the group while she spaced out in thought—something she had been doing awfully often recently. After all, it was difficult to avoid the topic when the subject of her thoughts was walking just a few meters in front of her in an outfit that was too tight and a mini-skirt that was way too short, almost like the little she-devil was doing it on purpose. Which she probably was.

"I want that! And that! Ooh, look at that one!" Miki was practically jumping as she pointed at pretty much everything expensive she saw.

"Too bad all that candy is going to make you too fat to fit those," Gumi muttered exasperatedly as other people were shooting them looks at how loud the redhead was probably screaming.

When they finally reached the store where they were going to search for dresses (just browsing, they promised, although they knew they were likely going to end up buying a few), Luka took a deep breath and tried to clear her head. Just act casual. Nothing to get worked up about.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind, one that she wondered why she didn't think of sooner.

 _Would Miku have mentioned_ that _to the others…?_

Judging by how cheerfully oblivious everybody acted with her and Miku, it was obvious that they either had no idea or were just really excellent actresses. Luka hadn't even told Meiko, but guessed that despite Miku's tendencies, she wouldn't tell anyone either.

Luka watched amusedly as Miki basically raced into the racks of fancy clothes like she was a starving animal who had been trapped inside of a cage before this, while Gumi trailed close behind her muttering about how they were sure to get kicked out soon, dragging the pinkette along to give them some fashion advice and hopefully keep the hyper redhead in check. Miku and Rin wandered in the opposite direction of those three, while Lily and Meiko had gone sightseeing in some smaller shops nearby.

"You don't seem very excited about this," the short-haired blonde remarked suddenly, gaze straying on the many racks of clothes but attention not over there. She turned to the girl walking beside her, who glanced up abruptly with wide teal eyes.

"And?" Miku mumbled while looking down at her shoes like they became severely interesting all of a sudden.

"What's bothering you?" Rin questioned in a gentle tone that was of genuine concern, which at the moment only made Miku more irritated for some reason. "You haven't been acting like yourself lately. I swear, you've been spacing out almost as much as Luka. Don't tell me we have another problem to deal with here."

"It's nothing, really." Miku gave a faint smile but Rin could see right through it, even though she decided not to comment.

"If you have something on your mind, feel free to talk to—" the blonde encouraged, but to her dismay and Miku's relief, was interrupted by a shrieking Miki who was clad in a blue-and-white dress, followed by Gumi who was carrying at least ten other dresses and running after her.

"I'm in love with this store!" the red-haired girl sighed dreamily. "You two should let Luka pick out some dresses for you. I loved all the outfits she chose for me!"

Said pinkette laughed nervously as she walked up behind them. "Don't put too much pressure on me."

"Who are you kidding? You have great fashion sense," Gumi confirmed with a grin. At that, Rin nearly forgot about what she was talking about earlier and skipped after them to try on some dresses. Lily and Meiko arrived back sometime, with the former wandering through the store and the latter taking a seat on one of the plush seats they provided, crossing her legs and leaning back to take a breather.

Rin, Gumi, and Miki stepped out of the dressing rooms and were spending time admiring themselves and each other in the large mirrors, gushing about how beautiful the outfits were and how everyone else was going to want to be them.

"Ugh, these are adorbs! I'm so getting all of them!"

"The other girls are going to be hella jealous."

"Luka, these are amazing! Thanks so much!"

The pinkette gave a small smile and ran her hand through her long hair. "It's nothing. Glad you like them." She sneaked a nervous glance out of the corner of her eye at the turquoise-haired girl who had been strangely quiet, who still looked as indifferent as ever. _You just have to make this harder for me, don't you?_

"Miku, you should get something!" Rin exclaimed cheerfully, hoping she could find _something_ that would cheer the girl up. Gumi nodded in agreement while Miki arrived back with about ten more dresses and vanished into the changing room again.

"That's okay, I already have a lot of dresses at home," Miku replied coolly, leaning against one of the square pillars in the store, pretending to act disinterested in all this.

"Come on, you don't have to buy anything. Just have some fun with it!" Rin pleaded with a smile. "Please?"

A few seconds passed and the tealette opened her mouth to answer, likely a "no", but before she had the chance to, something inside Luka decided to butt in and interrupt. "I-I can find the perfect dress for you if you want."

Both of them turned to her, one's eyes lighting up with enthusiasm while the other didn't seem so eager about the idea. Rin mouthed a tangled chain of please's.

Miku let out a sigh and begrudgingly murmured, "Fine."

After Rin's excitement and a few minutes of searching, Luka came across a dress that immediately sparked her interest. She had to admit, a darker-colored or black one would contrast her fair skin and bright hair nicely as well as bring out the edgier side in the tealette, but that white one was incredibly graceful and eye-catching, not too casual but not overly fancy. Besides, it didn't stop her from fantasizing about Miku in a wedding dress.

Luka instinctively glanced at her wrist before realizing she wasn't wearing a watch. Miku had been in the dressing room for several minutes now. She didn't think a dress would take too long to try.

"Luka, can you come in for a second?" a too-sweet voice called from inside the cubicle, snapping the pinkette out of her thoughts.

"W-What? Is something the matter?" Luka exclaimed in surprise, face heating up before she scolded herself. _Nothing like that. She probably just needs some help. But why couldn't she call anyone else for that…?_

"I just need some help with the zipper," Miku replied calmly. Some shuffling noises could be heard from inside.

Trying to swallow down her irrational (or maybe not) nervousness, Luka obeyed and slipped inside the door while Rin wandered off to join the others when she saw she wasn't needed there.

Two thoughts instantly hit like a freight train when she stepped in and locked the door behind her. Luka's first thought? The fact that Miku looked drop-dead gorgeous in that and despite everything, she would probably marry the tealette on the spot at the sight of her in that white waterfall dress, long hair let down, and a faint rosy hue splashed on her cheeks.

The second thought?

That Miku was stripping right in front of her.

"W-W-Wha—!" Luka's eyes widening, she backed up but found herself stopped by the wall behind her. Blushing bright red, after many stutters, she finally managed out, "Miku, what are you doing?!"

"Putting our relationship to use," the shorter girl answered through a half-smirk, half-smile as she walked slowly over to Luka, hips swaying as the dress was now piled at her feet, her body entirely naked.

It wasn't like it was the first time seeing her like this, but Luka couldn't help the same feeling rising inside of her. All the frustration, all the worries, they all seemed to disappear and were replaced by a heavy lust in her gaze that couldn't seem to pull away from the mesmerizing sight in front of her.

"N-Not now…" The logical part of Luka's brain was doing the talking, even though her body and the other ninety percent of her brain was desperately screaming to just pounce on the naked girl already.

"But I want it now," Miku stated softly with a small pout and wide teal eyes glancing up at the taller girl, hands already working on undressing the pinkette. Luka's breath hitched as she pressed her back against the wall, body growing hotter under the other girl's touch. "And it seems you do too… Luka."

Hearing her name in that low sultry whisper right by her ear, Miku's breath hot on her skin, her tongue running up her earlobe, and her hands practically exploring every inch of her body…

"How can I say no when you're touching me like that?" Luka breathed out heavily as she closed her eyes, her words turning into a moan as the need and desire dominated her brain once again.

"That's what I thought." Miku smirked as she rolled her hips into Luka, leaning up to plant a deep and fiery kiss on the other girl's lips, which soon turned into an intense make out session with Luka's clothes being discarded all over the ground and bench in the cubicle and their hands all over one another.

Luka hoisted the smaller girl who was surprisingly light up against the wall while she wrapped her legs tightly around the pinkette's slim waist and thrust her hips into her, earning more moans from the older girl. Miku hissed into Luka's ear as she wrapped one arm around her neck to steady herself and the other slid down her chest to grope at her soft breasts, their sloppy kisses leaving thin trails of saliva between their mouths. Feeling their most intimate parts grinding against each other's like that, Luka couldn't help but let a long, loud moan escape from her lips.

"Shhh!" Miku hissed. What if someone heard them? Why did that girl have to be so damn loud?

But Luka couldn't focus on what she said. Because it might've taken a while to sink in, but she was there in a changing room, naked with Miku, body pressed against Miku's, screwing Miku senselessly up against the wall.

 _She was fucking the girl of her dreams in a fucking changing room for fuck's sake._

It was almost unreal.

The pleasure was building up inside of her, almost spilling over like it was too much to handle. She could feel herself nearing her climax, getting hard to contain the noises that threatened to escape of bliss, only muffled by Miku's hand across her mouth and her own almost non-existent self-control. Amidst the overwhelming sensation of the other girl's bare hips grinding into hers, her hands toying down _there_ , their mouths on each other's lips and skin, Luka knew any second now she was going to—

"Get dressed!"

 _What?_

A wave of disappointment crashed down on Luka as the unfinished business left her hanging. The feeling inside her died down as Miku abruptly removed herself to swiftly slip her scattered clothes back on, and all that was between them was the cold, dead air once again.

"Hurry and get dressed!"

Stunned and confused, the pinkette couldn't help but obey as she struggled to get her clothes back on, still in a heated daze. It was only when her head cleared a bit that she noticed the knocking on the changing room door. They had probably stayed in for too long and an employee was complaining. Either that or one of their friends heard something and suspicion arose. Both thoughts sent a fiery blush burning on Luka's cheeks as she considered the possibilities. _Oh god, what if someone put two and two together and…_

Miku, however, only smoothed her hair and took half a second fixing her clothes and managed to look pristine and flawless as ever as she unlocked the door to step out. Luka followed closely, head down, hair still slightly messy and face flushed deep red. She pressed her hand up to her cheek, as if that would help anything.

"You two were in there for a while," Gumi remarked, standing in front of them with a hand on her hip. The other girls stood close behind. "Everything okay?"

Luka would probably be stuttering too much to make sense anyway, so she let Miku interrupt. "Everything's fine, I just didn't really like any of the dresses here. Let's check at a different store if you guys are done."

That seemed to do the trick. The five friends regained their eagerness and strolled off, Gumi complaining as she carried several bags that probably belonged to Miki, Rin pouting at the fact that she didn't get to see Miku in a dress, and Lily beckoning Meiko and Luka to follow.

The brunette, however, didn't even budge. Luka didn't want to believe the stunned expression on her friend's face—wide eyes, lips parted in a slight gape, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

"D-Did what I think happened really just happen in there…?" Meiko finally managed out, her voice cracking slightly in the middle of her sentence.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Luka waved her hand a little too quickly, her voice just an octave too high, turning away to hide her beet red face and the fact that she was totally, completely lying, and not a good one at that. "Y-Y-You must be hearing things! Come on, let's go!"

Even as the pinkette edged away as hastily as she could to rejoin the group and casually blend in with their conversation, Meiko trailed a little farther behind them in silence. The little things didn't go unnoticed by her. She could see her best friend's flushed face, glimmering skin, and slightly out-of-place clothes. How flustered she was despite her usually calm demeanor. How she seemed to be extra unnerved whenever she was in close proximity of Miku—even more than before, which was saying something.

Sure, Luka didn't openly admit anything to her, but Meiko had been her best friend for longer than anyone, and she also prided herself on knowing the rosette better than anybody else.

 _Just please don't hurt yourself again, Luka._

* * *

 **A/N: I'll try to keep the chapters between 2,000 and 5,000 words, but it might exceed the limit sometimes.**

 **Support, feedback, and all that good stuff is well appreciated.**

 **Asta la pasta and until next time. c:**


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

It wasn't easy when the people you needed to talk were also the ones you had to avoid, but that's exactly what Luka was doing.

It was difficult to avoid Miku and her friends when they were in several of her classes, when they (and her too, for once) were the buzz in the hallways, the hot topic that no one actually cared about but everyone believed they did to occupy the time they wanted to waste.

As Meiko's classes got busier and she apologized to her friend in the form of short texts with smiley emoticons, Luka couldn't believe that she felt relieved. Just the slightest hint of relief amidst a wave of negative emotions, but it was there. The relief that she wouldn't have to face the brunette who was older and smarter than her from the start, who she chose not to take advice from for reasons that baffled herself. Because she knew that Meiko knew. And Meiko wouldn't bring it up again out of respect and consideration, but that wasn't because it wasn't a big deal. It was simply who she was, which only made Luka feel worse.

She was going to be alone forever, she was almost positive of that by then. How was she—this gullible idiot who couldn't even make one decision right—supposed to make ice queen Miku fall in love? Luka supposed it was practically impossible. She'd have a better chance teaching a potato to talk.

The prospect was ridiculous. The sooner she accepted Miku would never even truly _like_ her, the sooner she could do what she should've been doing from the start. Break it off, forget her, and move on. Was she nothing to that girl, even though she bended to her every will, tended to her every need, tried to show her how much she loved her, even after all she sacrificed?

It was because Miku couldn't understand love. Was that it?

She tried to imagine a world where things were perfect and Miku loved her back and she was happy with the thought that she made Miku happy, and that world always ended with her opening her eyes again.

Truthfully, Luka spent more time thinking than she would've liked to admit. She didn't like to overthink; it just happened whenever there was noise or there was silence or she was alone or with people or listening to sad love songs or looking out the window pretending she was in a movie. She thought too much and at the same time too little, trying to figure out where to go next on this constantly changing game board, a decision that was somewhere up there along with the quantum theory and the inner workings of Hatsune Miku's mind in terms of complexity.

And Miku? Well, it felt like hundreds of pairs of eyes were strained on her whenever she walked through the school, a chorus of suspicious whispers dropped too low and sounding too hushed, spreading malicious rumors like wildfire because that's what these students loved to do. Which wouldn't have been any different than usual. At some point the tealette learned to filter out their pointless words and continue walking with her chin up, not even casting them a sideways glance. Their words didn't affect her in the least. Whatever insults or rumors kids could possibly come up with wouldn't tear her down.

So why was that now, two syllables whispered among the crowd could drive her crazy inside?

"Luka."

It was all she'd been hearing, and it was a ghost of a word she couldn't hide from. Walking to class, she tried her best to pretend to not notice the stares. She ignored the fact that students immediately stopped talking when she neared them, because they had been talking about her just mere seconds ago. She wouldn't check her phone when it buzzed in her pocket because as much as the temptation clawed at her, she knew the notifications would show up as more people asking her just what was happening between her and a certain pink-haired girl.

Miku clenched her teeth and for a moment, wanted to throw her phone against a wall, but even if that screen was broken, it didn't stop what people were saying. She hated rumors. She hated how easily people fell victim to these rumors and believed what they thought would be the best story.

 _How did this even happen?_

Luka, Luka, Luka… It was all she'd been hearing. And she was completely sick.

Sick of herself.

 _[every moment, it's harder to restrain myself; i_ _f this is love, i want to wear it on my sleeve]_

There were several times when Luka considered skipping class. So seriously that she herself had to stop for a moment and realize that straight-A-student, perfect-attendance Luka was thinking of ditching school. And as she walked into the last class of the day with her books tucked under her arm, she was only reminded of the reason why.

Like some typical high school anime setting, there sat Miku by the large window, a pale light streaming through the pane and perfectly capturing the way her turquoise hair fell back, slightly tousled in the sense that it was meant to be that way, sun drops in her blue-green ocean eyes and the shadows hooking the delicate line of her jaw. She simply sat there with a bored, disinterested expression despite being surrounded by several other bubbly students chit-chatting away cheerfully, doing nothing but breathing and just being _her._

Like some typical high school anime, Luka was enthralled. And she hated that.

She noticed a few of Miku's friends— _their_ friends, she meant—surrounding her, who almost instantly turned to greet Luka with their bubbly yet cool demeanor. The pinkette flashed a forced smile back as she traced her finger along the edge of her notebook before setting it down on her desk. The only thing she cared about was that Miku didn't even so much as acknowledge her presence. That, and she should throw her notebook away sometime, or better yet, burn it, because she didn't want to see those doodles of hers ever again, from back when she was still lovestruck and hopeful and eager like a little child.

Luka took slow, reluctant steps (slower in her mind than they were in reality, perhaps) over to the one place she didn't want to approach when she saw the people surrounding the desk dissipate like a scattering dark cloud. Discouragingly, Miku didn't even glance up at her although she was right there beside her. It wasn't as much ignoring as it was Miku once again telling her that in her world, Luka just wasn't there.

The older girl hesitantly cleared her throat, like that was supposed to confirm the fact that she existed.

"Um… How are you, Miku?"

At that point, both of them were likely thinking: _Seriously_ , _Luka?_

"Fine."

Luka couldn't really blame her for that.

 _Come on, think!_

It wasn't that Luka wasn't good at starting conversations. In fact, people tended to call her very approachable and likable. She was usually great at conversing with strangers. But standing here facing this girl who was half a year younger than her and over twice as intimidating, she somehow managed to render Luka's mind blank in her very presence. She just couldn't find the words. She might as well have been talking to a stranger.

"Are you excited for the dance? It's coming up in a few weeks, right?"

By now, Luka didn't expect much from Miku.

"I don't have anyone to go with, and I wouldn't want to." Luka wondered if she added that second part simply because Miku thought she would ask. "Since my friends are going, I figured I'll go too."

But why was it that despite everything, despite the cold manner Miku treated her with that seemed even worse than how she treated her some months ago, and despite all the constant heartache she silently endured… why was it that hearing Miku's voice still made her so happy?

"I see," Luka responded simply with a small smile and an awkward nod, averting her gaze and managing to catch the clock in her peripheral vision. A few minutes until class started. Walking away and slipping down into her seat until she vanished wouldn't be an option now. "You know, there are a lot of people who'd die to go to that dance with you."

The thing was, she wasn't even referring to herself when she said that. That fact was plain as day, but an even more obvious fact was that Miku would definitely say no. That sliver of hope that Luka used to bear even though she didn't believe much wasn't there anymore. There was no way the tealette would agree to anything she proposed, and in no way was Miku hers. So why was that seeing all the stares guys gave her—trying to read her blank expression and wondering if it was a good time to confess and ask her to the dance, most likely—still made her insides churn with this unexplainable feeling?

"There's no one I'm interested in."

Why did that one line hit Luka so hard?

"You'll only go to this dance once." The pinkette offered another faint smile as an automatic action, although by then she knew it wasn't making the situation any better. "Why not make the most of it?"

Miku didn't even bat an eye. She rested her chin on the back of her hand and stared straight ahead blankly. "Because dances are stupid, and so is everyone who's getting all worked up for something like it."

Luka's smile faltered a bit, and although she kept her mask on, it was slowly cracking. "So are your friends?"

"Look, I'm not going to that dance with you, alright?!"

Despite being used to this by now, Luka couldn't help but be taken aback. Miku practically hissed that last line, her previously cool demeanor turning to a full-on heated glare as she whipped her head around. She was obviously trying not to attract too much attention by keeping her voice down as best she could, but both of them felt their faces grow hot at the many students who had turned their heads around and were staring, whispering those murmurs of rumors that were half untrue.

"Miku!" Rin scolded, having overheard the end of that conversation from a few desks away as she leaned over with a sharp look directed towards at the tealette. "Of course Luka's coming with us." She shot a smile at the older girl. "Don't worry, Luka, we'll find you an awesome date!"

Of course, only one person knew what Miku really meant.

She wasn't actually feeling _bad_ for Luka. No, that was impossible. She was just acting as she always did. In fact, that was all she was trying to do, honest. She just wanted everything to be normal again.

As the bell rang and the students all hastily shuffled to their seats, Luka and Miku sat down and pretended to focus on the lesson. They pretended neither of them cared, and they both wished they could believe themselves.

 _[the strange feeling turns into an unbearable longing]_

Miku had been sighing a lot recently.

She sighed as the hands of the clock pointed to a time that was way too early, dropping her pen down on her notebook in such frustration that some random boy sitting near her even leaned over to whisper, "What's wrong?" Miku suppressed the urge to scowl and just stomp out and instead settled with a flawlessly faked smile and the word "nothing".

She sighed as she stood up from her desk after the bell that marked the end of the day rang—a temporary relief that would soon turn into another wave of gloom—turning on her heel and rushing out of the classroom instead of staying with her friends for once, because she couldn't risk it.

She sighed as she exited the front door of the school, hating how the sky was so blue today (beautiful cerulean with snowy wisps and laughter in the air like a perfect painting), pushing past the groups of students who were talking so happily and obliviously that it made her sick to the stomach. She ignored the giddy waves and people cheerily calling her name, people she barely knew, but ones that thought they knew her.

Was she not being herself? Maybe. Perhaps so obviously that her friends noticed, that students she didn't even know were coming up to her and asking, and even she started questioning herself.

This wasn't part of Miku's brilliant plan.

She claimed to hate Luka sometimes, but it wasn't true. She was simply kidding. Luka was fun to tease. In fact—albeit not very close friends—she even considered Luka to be one of her friends. Just… friends. Friends joked around all the time. Nobody took that stuff seriously, right?

… Well, okay, "fun" was a bit of a stretch. Maybe that word could be applied before this whole mess advanced to the level it was in right now. But at the moment, it was the last thing Miku thought the whole situation was. If there was one thing the great Hatsune Miku did not do, it was make mistakes. She had to remind herself life didn't always go the way she wanted. It wasn't too late to make amends. Yes, she would just tell Luka she was sorry (the thought appalled her, but reluctantly she had to admit fair was fair) and break off the relationship, and everything would be fine again.

However, at that exact moment, as if fate continued with its wicked plan, familiar voice broke her out of her thoughts. She sighed as she saw someone approaching her, one person she did not want to see right then, but by that time, it was too late to turn away.

As that person neared her with a beaming, hopeful grin, Miku immediately knew what would happen.

Len wanted the same thing he did all those years ago.

 _[i would follow you to the end of forever]_

Miku had refused to believe it when Luka confessed to her that day all those months ago, but this was different. He was so wishful and predictable it was almost pathetic.

But there they stood, behind the school after class just like Miku had done with Luka. They stood a few feet apart, close enough for them to hear each other in a private conversation but not near enough to be anything more.

The blond boy had a deep blush splashed on his cheeks. He was obviously quite nervous, and rightfully so. Putting your feelings on the line and openly confessing was very nerve-wracking, especially when it was to the ice queen of the school who didn't waste time on anybody. It would be strange if he wasn't nervous. He knew he could get rejected again, but there was that silly little flame of foolish hope in his chest that refused to die out just yet, like everyone who faced that kind of situation.

Len cleared his throat, probably mustering every bit of strength in his body to meet Miku's cold gaze with his own blue ones, only to find that the latter was the one who was looking away. "About that dance coming up, I was wondering if you—"

"I'm not interested in going to the dance with you, and neither am I in dating."

"Oh." Instantly downcast and embarrassed, Len rocked back and forth slightly on his heels, gaze searching the ground, trying to find anything to say next since he didn't expect Miku to.

Miku didn't like Len, not even one bit. She was certain of that. Hell, he was one of her closest friends' brother. She didn't want to start any kind of relationship with him, but she was aware of his feelings for quite some time. It was years ago when he first confessed to her with that same optimistic gleam in his eyes, when they were just kids. As they started talking less and eventually drifted apart into nothing more than near-strangers, Miku thought his small crush on her would fade. Little did she know that over time it had only grown stronger, and he had gained enough courage to try one last time. She felt her heart drop a bit at that thought. She did feel bad for the poor boy, and truthfully, she didn't want to hurt someone like that again.

Miku peeked up through her lashes to glance at Len, who was silently trying to find something not stupid to say. He had always been a good guy, and now that she looked closer at him, he had changed quite a bit over the last three years—for the better. His features matured, and he really wasn't bad on the eyes at all.

Miku wouldn't even admit to herself that she did maybe kind of like Luka, and she had a bit of a soft spot for Len too. After all, he claimed to love her, didn't he? Stricken at the thought of putting someone else through that kind of heartache, Miku didn't even realize she opened her mouth.

He was about to walk away by then, and she could just let it be. Miku almost didn't say it, but by the time she thought otherwise it was already too late, and she had spoken loud enough for Len to hear, clear enough to erase all chance of taking it back.

"What do you think about friends with benefits?"

* * *

 **A/N: Just be patient, the angst and drama is definitely coming. ;)**

 **Support, feedback, and all that good stuff is well appreciated.**

 **Asta la pasta and until next time. c:**


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